President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday evening said SA had
weathered Covid-19's “fierce and destructive storm”, announcing a move to alert
level one.
"With the further progress we have made as infections
have come down, we are now ready for a new phase in our response to the
pandemic," said Ramaphosa.
"It is time to move what will become our new normal...
it is now time to remove as many of the remaining restrictions on economic and
social acitivy as is reasonably safe to do."
After seeking advice from various stakeholders,
"cabinet decided this morning that the country should now move to level
one."
This takes effect at midnight on Sunday, September 20.
“Even as restrictions have eased… there has been a gradual
but steady decline in new infections, hospitalisations and deaths... We have
succeeded in overcoming the worst phase of this pandemic,” the president said
in his address to the nation.
The recovery rate was now 89% and the number of average
daily infections has dropped from an average of 12 000 a day to 2000 a day.
But he warned, “by any measure, we are still in the midst
of a deadly epidemic”. It was key that
SA did not get hit by a second surge in infections.
“We want to avoid that,” said Ramaphosa. This was why the
Covid-19 testing criteria would now be expanded.
“Due to the decline in new infections… We now have
sufficient testing capacity to expand the criteria for testing.”
TimesLIVE
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